Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-07-07
BALLARD Is FREE.
The Noted Counterfeiter is PardOned
President Cleveland Thinks He
Can Do No Harm.
4 Number of Changes to be Made in
the Departments at Washington
To Day.-Goyernment Tele-
graph Rates Fixed-Capi-
tai Notes.

WASHINGTON, July 1.-The president
has acted upon the applications for par
don of number of convicted criminals.
The most important case is that of
Thomas Ballard, the notorious counter
feiter, who was sentenced January 81,
1876, to 80 years imprisonment in the
Albany penitentiary for engraving and
having in his possession counterfeit
plates, notes, etc. The president has
granted him pardon. In endorsing the
application he says chat the prisoner was
supposed to be one of the most expert
counterfeiters in the country. He has
how been in the prison equivalent to
more than fifteen years, allowing the de-
duction he has secured for good behavior
He has grown to be an old man, broken
down physically and mentally. His con
duct has been such as to cause much in
terest to be felt in his case by many
good citizens and officials concerned in
his conviction. His wife who has
chung to him with true womau's devo
ton all these years and who has almost
worn herself out in her efforts to sup
port and educate her daughter, Just now
reaching womanhood, pleads for her err
ing and penitent husbands release.
There is universal belief on the part of
those acquainted with the case, that
the prisoners reformation is certainly
complete, and that in no circumstances
could this broken down man, whose
mind is fast giving way to his body, be
menace to society if liberated.
II am of the opinion that in this case
the law has been fully indicated" Par
dons were granted in half dozen other
cases. none of which are of general in
terest. He refused to pardon John
Irvine, of Wyoming, convicted of mail
robbery.
DEPARTMENT CHANGES.
incident to the incoming % a new ifs
cal year, number of changes will occur
in the public service tomorrow. IN the
consular service the present system Of
compromising consults by fees will, I'M
der the terms of the new appropriation
bill, be supplemented to a large extent
by system of graded salaries. Twenty
clerks in the Treasury department have
been dismissed to take effect tomorrow
because of the failure of congress to
make provision for the payment of their
salaries. A number of minor changes
such as increases and reductions in the
salaries of certain officers will take effect
tomorrow, as does also the executive
order consolidating internal revenue dis
tricts The judicial branch of the gov
eminent is increased by two judges. The
20 per cent reduction in the salaries of
assistant district attorneys goes into
effect tomorrow. The new appropria-
tions will cause about twenty-four
changes in the Agricultural department
Twelve ew appointments will be made
and abou' twelve persons serving under
temporary appointments will be trans
ferred TO the permanent rolls. The APP
preparation, for the government print
ing Office is abodt $150,000 less than for
the past fiscal year, but Public Printer
Benedict says that very few employees
will be disturbed.
GOVERNMENT TELEGRAMs.
The postmaster general has issued an
order fixing the rates of government tele-
grams for the coming year. The rates
are the same as last year, but the basis
of computation has been changed. In
stead of paying rates on the exact dis
tance from the place whore the telegram
is filed TO the point of destination, the
distance from state or territorial capital
and to state or territorial capital is com
puted and the tolls paid thereon. The
following are the rates; Twenty words
or more for any distance up to 1000
miles, l cent word; twenty words or
more for a distance of $500 miles or
more, ~ cents a word; twenty words OF
more for distances exceeding 900 miles,
add one-tenth of the rate for 1000 miles
for each 100 miles in excess of l goo.
GOING TO CLINTON, n. Z.
1t is stated at the White house to-day
that the president has decided to attend
the centennial celebration at Clinton, n
Y, July -, but beyond that he has not
yet completed his arrangs ents for the
summer. He drives out to his summer
residence at Oak View every afternoon as
usual and returns to the White house IN
the morning.
A statement prepared for the annual re-
port of the Fish commission shows by river
basins the following distribution of shad,
during the past season. Penobscot river,
100000; Kennebec river 100000; tribu-
taries of Naragansett bay, 1,l25O00; Hud
son river and estuaries, 1,079,000; tribu-
taries of Delaware bay, 100000; tribu-
taries of Albemarle sound, 5,322 900; tribu
taries of the South Atlantic coast, 2,566-
900; tributaries of the Gulf of Mexico,
7O4s 900; inland waters, 1,0140 total,
95,42l 900. This number Is greatly in
excess of che out put of any previous
wear